Three-day punk rock show benefits Skate Park of Athens

The skate of the matter

Posted: Thursday, December 04, 2003

By Julie Phillips Jordanjulie.phillips@onlineathens.com

Jeffrey Rogers holds up a skateboard lettered with the acronym for the future Skate Park of Athens, named for its parking-lot predecessor which once stood at the corner of Hancock and Pulaski streets downtown. Money has been allotted by the city to build a free public park, but BMXers and skaters are coming up with more than $50,000 to create a park that will attract enthusiasts from Athens and beyond.

It's been a long time coming, but skaters and BMXers in Athens are finally seeing a ramp at the end of the sidewalk by way of a free public skate park in Athens. Then again, their work isn't done just yet.

With the approval of the city to give $85,000 toward building the park, skaters and their supporters are having to come up with the rest of the money - some $50,000 - to create a world class park.

''People hear that number ($85,000) and they think that's a lot of money, but it's still not a third of what's spent on a baseball field,'' notes Jason Thrasher, a photographer and skater who's been pushing for the park for several years. ''And look how many of those there are in Athens.''

It's a sentiment shared by many.

''My son and I drove around one weekend and counted soccer and baseball fields and basketball and tennis courts, and there were so many - and most of them we saw stood empty,'' says Jennifer Hartley, who's son Jeffrey Rogers, 11, started skating about a year ago.

Christopher Jameson, 13

Jason Thrasher/Special

Hartley became active in the push for a skate park, attending meetings and holding them in her own home. ''I was stunned at how many people showed up at my house on a cold, rainy night - it was standing room only, and everyone wants this park,'' she says. ''And this is a good way for the city to spend money on something that will be used year-round.''

Fund-raising for the park - named after its parking-lot predecessor, Skate Park of Athens, or SPOA, which stood at the corner of Hancock and Pulaski streets downtown - already has begun, with the latest coming by way of a three-day benefit featuring a bevy of punk rock bands at Tasty World and Lunch Paper starting Monday. In addition to music, skaters and BMXers will be doing demonstrations, and films and videos featuring local skaters will be shown at Tasty World throughout the two evenings.

''Everyone wants to be involved in this,'' says John Davis, a BMXer and one of the organizers of the benefit. ''In less than an hour, this went from being a one-night show to a three-night, multi-venue benefit with 12 bands signed up to play. People are so excited, because they want to see a skate park here.''

And, adds Hartley, the park is something that could in turn ''benefit the town economically. You look at events like the Twilight Criterium, and there's definitely the potential to use the park to hold events with people coming in from out of town to create that kind of revenue.''

Longtime skater Rick Stanziale attests to skaters from other parts of the country being interested in Athens. Stanziale organizes the Red Clay Cup, a downhill skate race in Athens that entered its second year in August. Some 29 skaters competed in the race, with the top three awards going to skaters from Florida - a fact he laments since Athens skaters didn't place.

Bailey Jameson, 5, and Christopher Jameson, 13, are among those hoping to see a world class skate park in Athens.

Jason Thrasher/Special

But, says Stanziale, the interest bodes well, and a well-designed skate park holding competitions definitely would attract people from beyond the Classic City, linking Athens to a network of other Southeastern parks, including ones in Asheville, N.C., and Jacksonville, Sarasota and Daytona, Fla., and draw professional and amateur skaters alike to the area.

Adds Thrasher, ''It's pretty amazing, too, when the top skate park builders in the country are calling me with interest in building our park,'' he says, adding part of that interest comes from the fact that very few of the designers have built parks on the East Coast. ''But also,'' he adds, ''people know Athens.''

With the bidding process to begin April 1, skaters and BMXers are up against a deadline to come up with the money, and already are planning other musical events and fund-raisers to help the cause. Area artists are being asked to unleash their creations on blank skateboard decks, which will be on display in February at the Grit before being auctioned off in March. And T-shirts designed by local artists will be on sale at the events.

So far, organizers have had no trouble finding people to sign on to the cause. ''Everyone wants to help out,'' says Shannon Marshall, who co-organized the upcoming benefit. ''(The park) has been a longtime coming. But there's something to be said for the downtown industry-working folks - we tend to get overlooked in a lot of ways, but when we see that prize in the distance, we get together and make it happen.''

Those wishing to make a tax-deductible donation may make checks out to ACC Leisure Services, clearly marked ''Donation to SE Clarke Skate Park.'' Mail to SPOA, care of Jennifer Hartley, 175 Cleveland Ave., Athens, GA 30601.

Skate Park Benefit

Bailey Jameson, 5

Jason Thrasher/Special

All shows start at 9 p.m. (doors open at 8 p.m.) and are $5. There will be BMX and skate demonstrations Monday and Tuesday at Tasty World.

All proceeds go toward building a free public skate park for skaters and BMXers in Athens.